Being ateenagercan be pretty awesome. You’re not a kid anymore, but you’re also not an adult yet. There are still no crushing responsibilities, but you have heaps of free time to do silly (and sometimes questionable) things. In fact, whenThe New York Timesasked 18 young people what’s best about being a teenager, they said it’s the freedom, independence, and being able to have fun with friends.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

A humorous meme about gaming, highlighting calming games like Animal Crossing and Minecraft.

Funny meme about a mom hearing “whatever” but not “yeah” after calling from the kitchen, capturing teenage humor.

Funny meme about guys introducing themselves with humorous social media interaction.

We think we all know what we refer to when we say “teenager,” but the actual age of teenagers can sometimes get mixed up. Is an 11-year-old a teenager yet? Are 19-year-olds still teenagers?The World Health Organization, for one, places teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19.The American Academy of Pediatricsdistinguishes three stages of adolescence. They say that it starts at 10 years old and goes on until we’re 21 (and, sometimes, even beyond!). Early teenagehood, according to them, is from 10 to 13 years. Middle adolescence is from 14 to 17, and the latest stage is from 18 to 21.

We think we all know what we refer to when we say “teenager,” but the actual age of teenagers can sometimes get mixed up. Is an 11-year-old a teenager yet? Are 19-year-olds still teenagers?The World Health Organization, for one, places teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19.

The American Academy of Pediatricsdistinguishes three stages of adolescence. They say that it starts at 10 years old and goes on until we’re 21 (and, sometimes, even beyond!). Early teenagehood, according to them, is from 10 to 13 years. Middle adolescence is from 14 to 17, and the latest stage is from 18 to 21.

Tweet humorously reliving teenage email habits, using exclamation points and periods for tone balance.

Funny meme about recommending a book that made someone cry, featuring an organic chemistry textbook.

Funny meme about strict parents and unintended lessons from teenage phase.

Nowadays, we associateteenagerswith rebellion, sulkiness, and phrases like “It’s not a phase, Mom!” But teenagehood wasn’t always a thing. Teenagers as a concept in society only appeared in the middle of the 20th century. Until then, you simply used to be a child, and then, bam! You’resuddenly an adult, having to work just like any other grown-up.Back in those days, people even treated children as adults. The world consisted of children and adults. Kids used to work menial and dangerous jobs at agesas young as seven years old. Children and teens usually worked on their family’s farms, and when industrialization came around, they became factory workers.

Nowadays, we associateteenagerswith rebellion, sulkiness, and phrases like “It’s not a phase, Mom!” But teenagehood wasn’t always a thing. Teenagers as a concept in society only appeared in the middle of the 20th century. Until then, you simply used to be a child, and then, bam! You’resuddenly an adult, having to work just like any other grown-up.

Back in those days, people even treated children as adults. The world consisted of children and adults. Kids used to work menial and dangerous jobs at agesas young as seven years old. Children and teens usually worked on their family’s farms, and when industrialization came around, they became factory workers.

Funny meme about teenagers discussing politics and important topics, highlighting generational differences.

Cute comic meme on teenage phase with a pink blob seeking and regretting asking for help.

A teacher writing “Thano” on a whiteboard as part of a funny meme about endgame spoilers in a classroom setting.

Of course, those who grew up in more well-off families wouldn’t work on farms or in factories. They would receive an education and go on to become lawyers, doctors, priests, and such. Before the19th century,only a small portion of the child population would receive any education in Britain at all.The U.S. passed laws between 1920 and 1936 to save children from toiling away in factories. As a result, the percentage of kids and teenagers in schoolsmore than doubledfrom 30% to 60%.

Of course, those who grew up in more well-off families wouldn’t work on farms or in factories. They would receive an education and go on to become lawyers, doctors, priests, and such. Before the19th century,only a small portion of the child population would receive any education in Britain at all.

The U.S. passed laws between 1920 and 1936 to save children from toiling away in factories. As a result, the percentage of kids and teenagers in schoolsmore than doubledfrom 30% to 60%.

Funny meme about mitosis with a humorous sequence of a man’s surprised expressions in four panels.

Funny meme about breaking down class time into smaller segments, reminiscent of teenage phase thinking.

“Funny meme comparing weird teens in real life versus Netflix, capturing teenage phase humor."

The director of the documentaryTeenagesaid that the Industrial Revolution inadvertently paved the way for child labor laws and, in turn, for teenagehood to become a thing. “The Industrial Revolution and the advent ofchild laborwas a good way to bracket the story, since once you went to work, you were no longer considered a kid,” he toldCollectors Weekly. “When they started to make child labor illegal, this second stage of life emerged, and it needed a name. It was called adolescence.”

School bathroom chaos captured in a series of funny memes reflecting teenage phase challenges.

Funny meme about math class distraction with a surprised facial expression.

SpongeBob meme illustrating the irony of writing an essay in one hour, with a humorous teenage perspective.

The word ‘teenager’ wasn’t always in our collective vocabulary, either. Some sources, likeMerriam-Webster, claim its first (as in ‘Teen-Ager’) use was in 1913.Others saythat a reviewer of Psychologist G. Stanley Hall’s bookAdolescenceused the term ‘Teen Age’ first. However, the general consensus is that it was not widely used until the 20th century.

Person pointing at a blank board, humorous meme about ADHD and teenage experiences.

Funny meme of a bear with varied expressions for essay sections: intro, body, and conclusion.

Siblings divide chocolate with precision; kid inspects equal red drinks, evoking teenage humor.

Teenage phase meme: person watering lawn, pretending to ignore upcoming discussion about grades.

Man laughing in a meme about a teacher using a 2008 meme to make class fun, evoking teenage phase humor.

“Funny meme about emailing teachers with long messages and receiving brief replies."

The Teenage Bill of Rightsurged parents to let their teenagers explore the world, question things, and build their own philosophies of life. Much like what we today associate with teenagers, right? Rebellion, searching for meaning, the urge to separate yourself from your parents and family – all these traits of a typical teenager were already covered in an article from 1945.

Teenage phase meme with an American and European perspective on alcohol.

Student athletes in a locker room writing on paper, focusing after workouts.

Funny meme of a stick figure wrapping a yellow coat around itself, depicting an internal struggle.

The economic boom after WWII also saw teenagers begin to spend money. Older teenagers would work themselves or, like their younger peers, get allowances from their parents. Parents would also have fewer kids, allowing them tospend moreon the children they had.

Funny meme of a text exchange with shrug emoticons and a humorous twist by the mom.

Funny meme depicting a scene with a humorous caption about sharing gum at school.

SpongeBob sitting anxiously on a bed, capturing a humorous teenage phase memory.

Two cartoon characters in water with sad expressions, illustrating a funny meme about a childhood beach farewell.

Anime scene depicting humorous reaction that may make you relive your teenage phase.

Funny meme about grandma asking for technical support.

Continue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In

Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium

Unlimited contentAd-free browsingDark mode

Unlimited content

Ad-free browsing

Dark mode

Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In

There’s some evidence that teens were even sulky and moody in 1950s Britain.The BBCwrites how one mother described her woes with her teenage son in a letter to an agony aunt. “He’s cheeky and he’s sulky… why should a boy change like this? He resents any questions. The best I get is a polite yes or no, the worst an angry look which clearly tells me to mind my own business.”

Very Smart Indeed

Thanks Guys

I Don’t See What’s So Good About The “Good Old Days” Bookers Talk About

And Then I Panic When I Realize It’s Not Her

It’s 70s Day, And This Kid Is Dressing For The 1770s

Why Is This True

On Christmas Dinner

Just Happened To Me

Show Cat

Ya Don’t Need Dual Monitors

See Also on Bored Panda

It’s A Trap

Happened Just The Other Day

I Have The Same Self-Esteem As Freddie From iCarly

<em>Has A Total Of 3.5 Credits By Senior Year</em>

It Was Lit When Even The Teacher Laughs

Can’t Hold It In

I Do Be Like That

My Mom Sent Me A Meme

Just Got My Girlfriend&rsquo;s Name Tattooed On My Arm 😊😍

I Just Don’t Get It

These Kids Don’t Even Go To My School, But Someone Took The Picture From Online And Just Tossed It In The Yearbook. None Of The Teachers Noticed

2020 Is The Real 2012

Sorry Guys The Printer Was Bad

Hm Yes Of Course

This Hurts

Me In 3 Years

I Bought So Much Mcdonalds

I Was Bored

Throwback To When My Identical Twin And I Switched Photos During Our Graduating Year

They Undercover Spies

Someone Explain, I Actually Don&rsquo;t Know How

I Like This One

Because It Isn&rsquo;t Touchscreen

Take Me Back 😢

Really Ms. Benson, It’s Not That Hard

Me Smart I Am

I Think We Can All Relate To This

This Is How I Wrapped My Dad’s Present. It’s A Coat

My Friend Is Taking Notes In Minecraft

I Sacrificed A Deck Of Uno To Make This

Thanks To Video Lessons We Wish Even More

The School Actually Burned Down

Everytime

Gotta Look Out For Each Other

While 1==1: Level=level +1 Print(Level)

Everytime With His Computer

School Hasn’t Started For Me

Modal closeAdd New ImageModal closeAdd Your Photo To This ListPlease use high-res photos without watermarksOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.Not your original work?Add sourcePublish

Modal close

Add New ImageModal closeAdd Your Photo To This ListPlease use high-res photos without watermarksOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.Not your original work?Add sourcePublish

Modal closeAdd Your Photo To This ListPlease use high-res photos without watermarksOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.Not your original work?Add sourcePublish

Add Your Photo To This ListPlease use high-res photos without watermarksOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.

Add Your Photo To This List

Please use high-res photos without watermarks

Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.

Not your original work?Add source

Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image

Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image

Upload

UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark

Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.

TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark

InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark

FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark

ChangeSourceTitle

Greta Jaruševičiūtė

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Evelina Šiukšterytė

Funny